Relay



Aug. 18,1942. J. Fj. MERKEL.

RELAY.

Original Filed Aug. 18, 1938 INVENTOR BY F ljrkel, Hls ATTOR'NEY Patented Aug. 18, 1942 Joseph rf.A Merkel, nbhester, kN; Y., assigner to General.Railway Signal Companmltbclester,

original ,appiieatidn August is, 1913s, serial' No. 225,545.' Div'ded'jand this applicationMay 17',

1941, Serial No; 393,980

.4- claims. (ci. A20o-168)y Thisinvention` relates in general to e1eetrica1iy operated relays, and has more` particular reference to a means for fastening relays to support` panels, and to improved contact-finger construction.

The present application isa division of my. application Ser. No, 225,545, filed August 18; 1938, for Relays Accordingly; one feature of thisinventionfisto pro-vide an improved.A contactnger' construction. Another featureof` thisinventionis the provision of a holding meansfor the relay; whereby the meansA for holding the relay to its fixed support', and the means for holding the relayV casing in position to cover the relaymechanismwithin the and' inj turn receive the casing I4, the ends of tubesj I5 being threaded, as atA I6, to'receive nuts ITI, for clamping the casingonto themechanism casting. 'Ih'esenuts Il have plates-I Bjconnected thereto which extend `forwardly and then inwardly toward each other as atv I9, with the portions I9 drilledjtoreceive awire VZIJ, extending between theftwomembers I9, with the two ends of wire 2U interconnected by a seal or 'the like 23a. In, this' fashion; `in order' that thecasing `I4 can beremoved from the mechanism casting, it is casing, arev unusually conveniently located andI compact in their arrangements. c

Further objects, purposes and characteristic featuresof this invention willappear asythe description progresses, reference `being madel to the accompanying drawing showing, svolely"by way of example, and inno manner whatsoeverv in 'al limiting sense, one form4 which the" invention" can assume. In the; drawing:

Fig. 1- is a sectionarside eievatin'of oneform" of relayin accordance'with this"invention.

Fig, 2 is a fragmentary sectional viewfonline' Fig. 1, there is hereshown a relaysuppcrt rack' having sections I and 2, interconnected by bolts. 3. Fastened to. section I `of the rack, ,byboltirig it theretoas at 4, is a support rod 5, extendingforwardly ofthe relay rackand terminating'- ina threaded outer end 6. There are'two'ofthese rods 5, for supportingeach relay, as shown in Fig. 2, for example.

The relay mechanism and operated parts are largely contained in a casting C, of aluminum or other suitable material, and o-f a general box-like shape, with an open frontend. This casting has a top portion 1, a bottom portion 8, with side portions, one of which is shown at I0, and a rear portion II, The casting, at the rear, also has a bearing portion I2, which rests against the rack member I`, when the relay is Xed in position. In the mechanism casting is an annular groove I3, for receiving the open end of relay casing I4, which can be made of glass, or other suitable, and preferably transparent, material, such as any one of the numerous transparent low temperature plastics which are readily available.

Connected to the mechanism casting are two tubes I5, which receive the holding rods 5,

necessary rst Atorbreak the seal, kin order to remove thejnuts Il, andupermit the separationV of the casing fro rn`wthev mechanism casting;`

Projecting through` the tubes I5 and the'nuts I1 are;` therholding rods' 5, on" the threaded outer end 6j' of;eachfofwhi ch isa holdinginut ZI', for clamping the relay;.including the casing, onto the rods-5.V l Y With'thearrangement as,I just described, it is obvious that the relay can'be bodily removed from the `relay;rackjr'nember I,by merely removing the nuts 21j, and"u rithout` breaking any seal. If, however,` it `is desired vto remove `the casing from the mechanism casting, the sealmustvbe broken in order 4to permitjremovalofthe vholding nuts I1.

The magneticstructure employed in this relay is of` thetype shown and described in the patent to W; K. Howe, No. 1,882,846, granted October 18, 1932, and accordingly, need not be described in anygreat detail in the present specication: In briefgf the magnetic structure involves arnemberZZ, connected' to thev casting by screws 23, 'and' carrying an` energizing winding 24, connected to 'an'externajlsource of energy by two wires25. Facing thecore 22, is a cooperating laminated-core structure, not shown;

The vane of this relay is carried by spindle 32, supported by the sides of the mechanism casting, in suitable bearings of the type, if desired, shown as and described in the patent to J. L. Osborne, No. 1,785,702; granted December 16, 1930.

The vane is constituted by a thin arcuate plate 34, of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum, copper, or the like. This plate, in its dimension toward spindle 32, is relatively narrow, so as to just properly cooperate with the magnetic structure by which it is operated.

For supporting the vane on spindle 32, there are employed arms, as 36 and 39, riveted, as at 31, to an end of the vane, where they are received on spindle 32, whereby to make a rigid arm support for the vane.

The contact operating means can be best seen from Fig. 1, and is constituted by a contact oper- K casting at 60 and 6|.

ried by Contact lingers 56, having usual pressure and stop plates 51 and 58 respectively. The contact fingers are carried in a block of molded in' sulating material 59, supported in the mechanism The contact lingers have projections, such as 62 and 63, to form a socket to receive a plug 64, for electrically connecting each contact nger with a separate wire, as 65 and 66, extending to the rear of the relay rack section l.

At a point near the contact carrying block 59, the contact fingers l and 52 are milled out, as at 5| 2 and 522, to a thinner dimension, whereby to substantially produce a pivot at this point. In this manner the contact iingers5l and 52 at their outer ends are relatively rigid, and hence, build up a contact pressure with the fixed contacts without any material amount of flexing at their outer ends. With this construction it is possible to build up proper contact pressure without the expenditure of an undue amount of enelgy.

Thus, a compact arrangement of parts has been provided whereby to remove the casing from the mechanism and casting, a seal must be broken, but to remove the relay from its supporting rack, no seal need be broken, and this arrangement of parts is constituted primarily by supporting rods passing through tubular members on the mechanism casting with both the rods and the tubular members passing through the relay casing.

The above rather specific description of one form which this invention can assume, has been given solely7 by Way of example, and is -not intended, in any way whatsoever in a limiting sense. Furthermore, it is to be understood that all vsuch Variations and modifications, as come within the scope of the appended claims, are intended to be covered and protected by the present application.

Having described my invention, I now claim:

1. In a relay, in combination, a lsupport rack, a holding rod xed to the rack and extending forwardly therefrom, a relay mechanism, a casting receiving the mechanism, a tube xed to the casting, an enclosing casing for the mechanism and casting, the tube extending through one face of the casing to the outside thereof, holding means on the outer end of the tube for clamping the casing to the casting, the rod extending through the tube and projecting beyond said holding means, and means on the outer end of the' rod to clamp the rod to the tube.

2. In a relay, in combination, a support rack, a holding rod carried by the rack and extending forwardly therefrom, a relay mechanism, a casting receiving the mechanism and having a rear flange, a tube carried by the casting, an enclosing casing for the mechanism having one open end butted against the flange on the casting when in position to enclose the mechanism, the tube extending through one face of the casing to the outside thereof when the casing is in enclosing position, holding means on the outer end of the tube for clamping the casing against the casting, a seal preventing removing the holding means except after the seal is broken, the rod extending through the tube and l projecting beyond said holding means, and means on the Vouter end of the rod to clamp the rod to the tube.

3. In a relay, in combination, a support rack, a holding rod fixed to the rack and extending forwardly therefrom, a relay mechanism, a base member receiving the mechanism, a tube fixed to the base member, an enclosing casing for the mechanism and base member, the tube extending through one face of the casing to the outside thereof, holding means on the outer end of the tube for clamping the casingto the base member, the rod extending through the tube and pro jecting beyond said holding means, and means on the outer end of the rod to clamp the rod to the tube.

4. In a relay, in combination, a support rack, a holding rod carried by the rack and extending forwardly therefrom, a relay mechanism, a support means receiving the mechanism and having a rear flange, a tubeJ carried by the support means, an enclosing casing for the mechanism having one open end butted against the flange on the support-means when in position to enclose the mechanism, the tube extending through one face of the casing to the -outside thereof when the casing is in enclosing position, holding means on the outer end of the tube for clamping the casing against the vsupport means, a seal preventing removing the holding means except after the seal is broken, the rod extending through the tube and projecting beyond said holding means, and means on the outer end of the rod. to clamp the rod to the tube.

JOSEPH F. MERKEL. 

